Men's Fashion Trendbook FW21 by Peclers Paris

For FashionUnited, Peclers Paris shares its vision about Men's Fashion for the FW21-22 season. Change is fascinating! Take action and get creative to challenge traditional thinking. Now is the time to find the right balance between pragmatism and audacity. Invent positive scenarios to create a rich future that blends common sense and fantasy. Protect Nature and build tomorrow’s dreams around it. At a time when identities, styles, and cultures are mixed with unprecedented fluidity, let’s dare to dream of a collective and inclusive world, where engagement is key no matter where you live. With these values in mind, Peclers Paris Team has reorganized the book’s architecture and content to make it a creative catalyst in sync with a changing world. More videos on FW21 trends by Peclers Paris to follow, stay tuned! Video source: Peclers Paris Photo credit: Peclers Paris
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Video: The Stolen Garment FW21 collection at NYFW

In this video, menswear fashion brand The Stolen Garment has presented its FW21 collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view the FashionUnited Marketplace. Video: FF Channel via YouTube Photo credit: Bris8.eu, Facebook
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Video: Teddy Vonranson FW21 collection

In this video, American fashion designer Teddy Vonranson has presented his FW21 collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view the FashionUnited Marketplace. Video: Design Scene via YouTube Photo credit: Design Scene, Facebook
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Video: Dennis Basso FW21 collection

In this video, American fashion designer Dennis Basso has presented his FW21 collection at New York Fashion Week. Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view the FashionUnited Marketplace. Video: Dennis Basso via YouTube Photo credit: Dennis Basso, Facebook
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Video: Alice + Olivia FW21 collection

In this video, contemporary fashion brand Alice + Olivia has presented its FW21 collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view the FashionUnited Marketplace. Video: FF Channel via YouTube Photo credit: Tom and Lorenzo, Facebook
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Video: Sandy Liang FW21 collection at NYFW

In this video, fashion designer Sandy Liang has presented her FW21 collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view the FashionUnited Marketplace. Video: Sandy Liang via YouTube Photo credit: Hypebae, Facebook
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Video: KoH T present its FW21 collection

In this video, Japanese fashion brand KoH T has presented its FW21 collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view the FashionUnited Marketplace. Video: FF Channel via YouTube Photo credit: Design Scene, Facebook
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Video: Ka Wa Key FW21 collection

In this video, London-based gender-fluid fashion brand Ka Wa Key has presented its FW21 collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view the FashionUnited Marketplace. Video: FF Channel via YouTube Photo credit: Male Model Scene, Facebook
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Video: Federico Cina FW21 collection

In this video, Italian fashion designer Federico Cina has presented his FW21 collection at New York Fashion Week (NYFW). Watch the video below. Do you want to see more FW21 clothing collections? Click here to view the FashionUnited Marketplace. Video: Vrai Magazine via YouTube Photo credit: Federico Cina, Facebook
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Victor Li takes us to the wild west for New York Fashion Week

We might be grounded until further notice as we all dream of traveling again, but until then Victor Li is here to fulfill the void with some domestic travel inspiration. The designer’s yearning for the beauty of what we can discover within America’s borders became a definitive part of artistic representation with the art form we live our lives in: clothes. Li was inspired by the lingering picturesque landscape of Wyoming, which he reimagined onto fabrics, beginning with washed denim that mimics the erosion of granite and sand, layered with colors that reflect the plunge of clear water, and motifs from vintage postcards collected along the way. After five seasons of making a name for himself in menswear, fall/winter 2021 marked the launch of Li’s foray into womenswear. Described as a “a suspension of time” Li’s collection was also inspired by the acclaimed film Brokeback Mountain. While most people don’t look to the Great Plains region of the United States for fashion inspiration, Li took the road often less fashionably traveled, and found a fashion statement. Motifs from vintage postcards collected along the way were interspersed through the overall collection. Silhouettes were both loose and free while simultaneously having elements of strong tailoring. Denim was the most prominent fabric in the collection, fitting as also one of the most universal fabrics both domestically and globally. Denim appeared in many forms including raw, tie-dyed, and printed, and was accompanied by a liberal use of plaid and patterns throughout the collection. Life on a western ranch was taken and suspended in time. For women, Victor Li’s debut offerings included cropped blazers cut close to the body and wrapped around the waist, jeans were done in boyfriend cuts with a rugged look, and the postcard prints were used for blazer-on-skirt look. Accessories are also becoming key to Li’s business, notably a saddle bag he created that took inspiration from a horse-riding trail bag, and the tool bag, a cross body bag that could also be worn on the waist. Li took us to the wild west and showed us that in even the most humble of travel destinations, fashion inspiration can be found. Denim and western style might be all too familiar to us, but they were made more intricate and exceptionally attractive. photos: courtesy of Agentry PR
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Fast Retailing unseats Inditex in terms of market capitalization for the first time

The parent group of Uniqlo has unseated Inditex for the first time in history, rising to the title of the world’s largest retailer by market capitalization after closing the sessions on Monday and Tuesday, exceeding 100 billion dollars in value on the stock market. The value of Fast Retailing, the Japanese company that owns the fast fashion chain Uniqlo, reached 10.87 trillion yen (about 103 billion dollars) at the close of the stock market on Tuesday. It should be noted that this is the first time that Fast Retailing has surpassed Spanish Inditex, which had a market capitalisation of approximately 99,000 million dollars at the close of Tuesday’s trading session. Fast Retailing stock surpasses 100,000 yen for the first time Fast Retailing’s stock has only appreciated since last August, gaining seven consecutive sessions to close this Tuesday at 102,500 yen per share, 3 percent more than the previous session. Additionally, Fast Retailing has broken another record this week, surpassing 100,000 yen per share for the first time. This closure places the group at the top of the global garment industry in terms of market capitalisation, according to ‘Asia Nikkei’. From the financial publication, they point out that the profitability of Fast Retailing’s capital stands at 9 percent for the fiscal year ended last August, while Inditex enjoys a 24 percent return for the comparable period. In terms of inventory turnover, Fast Retailing’s three-month index is below 1.5, while Inditex’s is 2 percent. Tie in digital sales, Inditex gains in revenue Fast Retailing and Inditex lead the fast fashion segment in terms of online sales, an area that will determine the growth of both companies and in which they currently compete for the first and second place. Specifically, last year the Japanese company raised the contribution of its online sales from 11.3 percent to the current 15.6 percent. By comparison, e-commerce accounted for 14 percent of Inditex’s revenue in 2019; the Spanish group plans to raise that figure to 25 percent by next year. The Japanese retailer’s share price has risen steadily since last August 2020. The market has repeatedly applauded Fast Retailing’s focus on Asian markets, especially China. In the last fiscal year, Fast Retailing’s operating margin in China - a region that includes the Hong Kong and Taiwan territories - stood at 14.4 percent, up from 13 percent in Japan. Although it has been consolidating its growth in Asia in recent years (Zara has approximately 20 percent of its stores in the region), 70 percent of Zara’s outlets are in the United States and Europe, markets that are have been affected by multiple locks. It is in revenue generation where the Japanese group has to step on the accelerator: Fast Retailing remains in third place with approximately 2 trillion yen (18.9 billion dollars) for the previous fiscal year. Inditex leads the way with 28.2 billion euros (34.1 billion dollars) for the year ending January 2020. According to its latest quarterly results report, Inditex reported revenues of 866 million euros (60 percent more than Fast Retailing in the same period of time.)
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New subscription box brings African textiles into your closet

Jacqueline Shaw has built her career helping entrepreneurs and fashion brands build sustainable businesses with African-made goods. Her mission has been to open up the African opportunity; to help brands reimagine their supply-chain; and to interpret centuries-old textile traditions and techniques for the global market, specializing in creating sustainable solutions. Now she is launching her own monthly subscription box business, Wax & Wraps. From the menu of “treasure boxes” you might choose the Sewist box which challenges the skills of the home sewer and includes a sewing kit, specialty fabric, sewing patterns, threads and trims, or perhaps the Stylist box for reimagining headwraps, headbands or night bonnets. FashionUnited spoke to Shaw about the increased interest in the Made in Africa label and why she thinks we’ll be making our own clothes soon. How and when did you first connect with the African market and how did that lead to what you do today? My first connection with Africa was through an exploration of my own Caribbean heritage where my parents were from. When my grandfather, a Jamaican Maroon, died, it pushed me to explore Africa, making my first Sub-Saharan trip to Ghana. I saw the fabrics, the possibility, and felt excited with this re-connection to my origin. What does Africa have to offer brands that is perhaps being overlooked or that other global sourcing hubs can’t provide? Africa’s craft industry is offering brands the sustainable story, with its array of traditional textile skills and nascent fashion industry. Brands can have a slow fashion story and actually start afresh by working with Africa. On top of that Africa is a relatively young continent in demographics with a fast growing population, which offers a strong labour force and marketplace for the near future. What do you think are consumers/brands biggest misconceptions about African goods? Many feel Africa cannot make fashion as we know it in the west. This is untrue. Many do not trust that the skill is there. I have worked for over ten years to help change this perception by sharing stories of what African businesses can and are doing.  Why did you decide on a subscription box model for Wax & Wraps? During the first lockdown I was wondering, as an industry leader, how I could help serve my clients and people more. I had a subscription-based business previously and saw the power of this model but with an African focus as a solution. I launched Wax and Wraps with a group of my students first because while we have all been at home the crafts and sewing hobby market has been gaining traction. How do you source your wax prints? I work with waxprint houses and suppliers in West and East African countries. I also supply batiks and other handprinted textiles as I want to directly support the skilled artisans. These have proved even more popular than the traditional batiks. Has 2020’s global BLM movement spurred tangible interest in African artisanal goods and Made in Africa? I believe it truly has. I have heard from other Black-owned business owners who saw a spike in growth and sales. My concern is if this will maintain or if it’s only for a season. I do believe though that it has driven more Black-owned business owners to decidedly support others Black-owned businesses and this is a positive for the community.   How can we prevent the human rights abuses associated with fashion’s supply chain in other parts of the world from occurring in Africa? This comes down to many factors, government being one, raising awareness, advocacy, transparency within the supply chain, and exposure where this may exist already.   How is the global pandemic impacting your business positively or negatively? As I trade internationally it has caused a slowdown on the shipping and logistic side of things. But because I have both digital and physical businesses I was able to switch between the two. If anything, I saw huge growth often doubling in sales from month on month.   In this era of fast fashion why do you think the consumer is ready to invest the time into making their own garments with Wax and Wraps textiles? There is a phrase I use with Wax and Wraps: “take back control of your own wardrobe and have fun with prints.” Supporting body confidence can come from making your own clothes. As someone with a typical Caribbean/African body shape, curvier in the hips etc, I haven’t always liked shopping and struggled to find things to fit my hourglass shape. Therefore I tended to make my own clothes for events, nights out, or weddings. Nothing felt better than wearing clothes that I made myself and that actually fit in all the right places. I want to help other lovers of African fabrics, and fellow sewists, to feel this confidence and to have fun. Fashion editor Jackie Mallon is also an educator and author of Silk for the Feed Dogs, a novel set in the international fashion industry.
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Flying Solo brings multiculturalism to New York Fashion Week

Flying Solo had the distinction of being one of the few physical fashion shows for New York Fashion Week (NYFW) this season. The collective, which is a hub and platform for emerging designers, many of whom are international, has become a prominent space for up-and-comers who buck conventional notions of dress to find an audience here in America and abroad with the support of people who see multiculturalism as the future of fashion. Nichol Isadora, a Florida-based accessories designer, came with a unisex approach for sunglasses and celebrated the art of collaboration with her namesake line, Nicholisadora. She worked with several of the Flying Solo ready-to-wear designers to create unisex glasses featured on the models during the runway show. Her pieces included leopard prints, bold neon colors, and a range of styles from prescription frames to sunglasses fit for a night at the club (remember the good old days B.C. a.k.a. before COVID-19?) Flying Solo was one of the few physical shows at New York Fashion Week Isadora takes a bold and bright approach to fashion, especially right now, because as she said to FashionUnited, “People are looking for hope from the fashion industry. People also want to be able to use fashion to identify themselves and express who they are. Fashion has the power to give people confidence during these trying times.” Freakbutik, a collection by Russian designer sisters Marina and Milana Vasileva, were inspired by the catastrophe of a year that was 2020, because in times of travesty, great creativity is often born. They aptly titled their latest collection CHAOS. The color palette for the streetwear collection included orange, black, silver, and white, essentially hazard colors. “2020 was very hard for everybody,” Milana said to FashionUnited. “From fashion shows to the overall fashion business. We remember being on a plane from New York to Helsinki when we first heard about the fires in Australia, then the pandemic in China. We thought about how to create a moodboard to explain all of that, and that’s how we thought about this collection.” Some designers opted for a see-now-buy-now approach to their fashion collections, including Juliana Heels designer Juliana Brandao Cordova. For her spring/summer collection, the designer opted for bright colors and natural fabrics. Brandao Cordova told FashionUnited that, “I wanted something current that my clients can see on the runway and they can have it right away. They know right where to go at Flying Solo.” Her current collection marks the brand’s second collection ever, and it also marks her debut at New York Fashion Week. Brandao Cordova shares Isadora’s sentiments that people need fashion right now as a beacon of hope. “We are feeling hope about getting the vaccine. People are looking at clothes and thinking of how and where they can wear them again. When my clients see the collection, they see the energy brought to the marketplace. Fashion can change your entire day from the time you wake up in the morning. The right shoes and clothes can give you the right energy for the day. Fashion is never going to stop. People will always love it.” What Flying Solo managed to do during these tumultuous times for fashion was to keep the dream alive for a new dawn. While the state of fashion is cautiously optimistic, 2021 is already looking up as brand’s try to engineer a new future with the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine. photos: courtesy of Flying Solo/Getty
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A new publication aims to share ‘recipes’ for leading the best sustainable fashion life

A new publication called the Open Source Fashion Cookbook aims to share ‘recipes’ and tips for leading the best sustainable fashion life. Founded by New York fashion brand ADIFF designers Angela Luna and Loulwa Al Saad, the book is a tool for “democratising sustainable and ethical fashion, enabling all people – especially communities that cannot traditionally afford to shop from responsible brands – to participate in responsible consumption.” DIY tips range from complicated patterns from designers including Christopher Raeburn, Assemby and Chromat to requiring less complex sewing skills, like repurposing a bucket hat from a broken umbrella. Making a blanket coat comes complete with a 53-step how-to with illustrations. The crux of the publication teaches readers how to repurpose materials and work with existing fabrics and items to produce new garments. For Paris men’s fashion week last summer JW Anderson published a how-to video to make his infamous patchwork cardigan, as worn by singer Harry Styles. The video has since been watched nearly 700,000 times. The founders of the book launched their fashion label ADIFF in New York in 2017 focusing on the premise of donating an item for every item bought. The brand collections are centered on sustainability and social justice. Image courtesy ADIFF
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Nike links with Readymade on new sneaker launch

Nike’s earliest basketball shoe, the Blazer Mid, has been transformed. The shoe features a deconstructed, DYI approach featuring a thinner, more prolonged, half-stitched swoosh taking inspiration from the logo’s 1971 version. The shoe captures Readymade founder Yuta Hosokawa’s core design values and philosophy of upcycling. The shoe’s rubber outsole is made with 15 percent mixed recycled materials originating from Nike manufacturing scrap and worn-out sneakers that would have otherwise entered the waste stream. “We deconstructed the Blazer and recreated it without losing sight of its DNA,” the Readymade designer said in a press release. “I have been playing basketball since I was in third grade. The first pair of shoes I bought for myself were Nikes. That’s how I came to like fashion.” Photo credit: Nike
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Bravissimo secures multi-million-pound funding package from NatWest

Lingerie retailer Bravissimo has scaled up its online presence and customer service after securing a multi-million-pound funding package from NatWest to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement, Bravissimo, said that it has used the working capital support from NatWest to support ongoing investment in warehouse operations and customer services teams to give their customers the best possible experience and meet increased online demand during the pandemic. The retailer, which has 23 stores across the UK, added that it has also continued to invest in stock, pivoting to increase focus on comfort and sportswear items as its customers’ needs change with the increased time spent at home. Leanne Cahill, chief executive at Bravissimo, said: “After the safety of our teams, our main priority since the beginning of the pandemic has been the long-term operation of the business and this has meant that we have had to adapt how we do things here at Bravissimo. As we moved more online, we quickly responded to increase capacity. “At Bravissimo, our community of big-boobed women are at the heart of every decision we make, and during these difficult times being there for our customers, despite our shops being closed, was so important to us. We wanted to make sure we had the right level of support in our customer service teams, who not only help customers to find bras that fit them well, but also give them advice and support them to feel amazing over the phone, email and via Live Chat on our website. Our bra fitters have supported thousands of women, including first-time mums looking for advice and nursing bras and other customers finding the right sports bra for their home workouts.” Lingerie retailer Bravissimo secures funding to scale up online presence Bravissimo was launched in 1995 to provide a greater range of lingerie for women with bigger cup sizes. With a focus on long customer relationships, Bravissimo has used the funding to ensure its teams are fully equipped to work remotely and provide customers with the personal service they are used to. Cahill, who was named chief executive of the lingerie retailer in December 2020, added: “We are now in a very strong position to grow the business over the coming years despite the huge challenges that have faced our industry over the last 12 months, NatWest have been instrumental in this. “Thanks to our ongoing partnership with our NatWest relationship manager Mark Caulkin and the team, we were well prepared to access the funding we needed without delay. Mark knows our business very well and understands what is important to us, and with his help we have entered 2021 feeling confident about the year ahead.” Mark Caulkin, relationship director at NatWest, said: “I’ve worked with the team at Bravissimo for a number of years now and watched the business go from strength to strength. Despite the challenges Covid-19 has created for the retail industry, Bravissimo has been quick to react at every stage of the pandemic. With support from NatWest, it has managed to pivot the business to focus on its customers’ current needs and impressively maintained and nurtured these relationships.” Image: courtesy of Bravissimo
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R.M.Williams launches second capsule with Marc Newson

Australian footwear brand R.M.Williams has launched a second capsule collection with Marc Newson exclusive to Farfetch. The new capsule collection of the Yard Boot 365, described as the modern-day worker boot designed for “thinkers, tinkers and creators” has been given a new colour palette and a contrasting sole. The Yard Boot 365 was developed as a contemporary take on the original R.M.Williams Gardener boot, first introduced in the 1950s as an answer to “the combined effects of mud, water and sand” for those working in long grass, dairies, swampy or sandy conditions. The new capsule utilises the same unisex design, made from one piece of leather, a moulded sole and fully engineered elastic gusset, and introduces three new colourways burgundy leather, grey suede and dusty ochre suede and an updated cream rubber outsole. These new colours sit alongside the black and walnut leather colourways from the first capsule. Commenting on the new releases, Marc Newson, said in a statement: “It is important to me to preserve the DNA of any brand I work with. For this year’s Yard Boot 365 capsule collection, we updated the colours and the contrast outsole. As most of us have had to learn new ways of working and living over the past year, I hope this boot adds character to life’s everyday adventures.” R.M.Williams chief marketing officer, Mathew Hayward added: “R.M himself coined the phrase The Country Boot that went to Town – The Yard Boot 365 embraces our roots while continuing to innovate as the man and the brand has always done. Made here in Australia, at our workshop in South Australia, this future icon launched in 2020 and saw 50 percent of sales be contributed to new consumers, with the strongest international performance for a new boot at launch. Marc has brought a new consumer, and a new boot to our loyal consumers with his Undeniable Character.” The new Yard Boot 365 is available to purchase exclusively on Farfetch, and then from March 1 in R.M.Williams stores and online. Images: courtesy of R.M.Williams
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Trove appoints new president and chief operating officer

Resale company Trove has appointed former L’Oréal and Google executive Gayle Tait as its new president and chief operating officer to help accelerate its growth. Trove, which powers circular shopping for brands, including Levi’s, Patagonia, Eileen Fisher and Arc’teryx, confirmed the appointment following an impressive 2020, with the second half of last year recording more than 180 percent year-over-year sales growth. Tait joins from Google, where she served as senior director, global retail and payments activation, for Google Play, overseeing the division’s multibillion-dollar prepaid card business and payments partnerships with global 500 retailers, carriers and e-wallet providers. Prior to Google, Tait spent nearly 15 years with L’Oréal, most recently serving as managing director for the UK and Ireland, delivering market-beating growth for three consecutive years and leading digital transformation across the organisation. The company explained in a statement that Tait brings more with her than two decades of global general management, marketing and commercial experience spanning consumer goods, payments, e-commerce and digital marketing. Tait will report directly to chief executive officer, Andy Ruben. Former L’Oréal and Google executive Gayle Tait joins Trove to help accelerate its growth Commenting on her appointment, Tait, said: “I’m thrilled to join Trove at this important inflection point for the industry. Trove is building a market-leading technology platform that enables resale for the world’s most innovative brands across verticals that range from sportswear and outdoors to contemporary fashion to luxury. With many brands putting sustainability at the heart of their business, this is a pivotal moment for retail, when there is so much potential to make a significant positive impact on the environment.” Ruben added: “Circular shopping is the fastest-growing retail segment and we’re very excited to have Gayle join us at this key moment to further propel our growing business. Her leadership experience and industry expertise will be invaluable as we continue on our quest to build the leading re-commerce technology platform enabling brands to control their resale market and reduce their environmental impact.” The appointment comes off the back of a year of milestones for Trove, including significant revenue growth, and a new partnership with Levi’s to launch Levi’s SecondHand, a first-of-its-kind buy-back programme that enables consumers to exchange pre-owned Levi’s apparel in-store for a gift card. In addition, Trove has assisted sustainable progress with its partners, as each Trove re-commerce partner eliminates 11,000 pounds of waste on average each year and diverts 41 percent of carbon dioxide from entering the air for every item that is purchased used versus new. Image: courtesy of Trove
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